OPTIONS IN LIFE was established to provide advocacy and support, to promote education, training, healthy living, independence and life-skills development for individuals and supporters of those who have a learning disability and complex additional needs.
Our founders were drawn together by collective experiences as parents and carers of young adults who have a variety of conditions crossing the spectrum of Autism, Down Syndrome, ADHD, dyslexia, and other learning disabilities, when we discovered that opportunities available to young adults with complex additional needs drastically decline after they finish full-time education.
Without exception, there was a period when each of us either denied or certainly doubted that our children fitted any of the above classifications. Like almost every parent, carer or guardian we hoped that our child’s condition would somehow be explained, resolved, or disappear, either over time or when the right diagnosis and treatment was applied.
Our objectives would never deter any parent, carer or guardian for holding on to such hopes. We simply recognise that, on the path to whatever final conclusion they reach, we don’t want others to experience the isolation we individually felt.
In establishing OPTIONS IN LIFE, we recognised that we were going to have to care for, advocate for and support our children for the rest of our lives. We wanted to give our young people the opportunity to have the same life experiences as everyone else, to socialise, make friends and have a life outwith their family circle, and to push the boundaries. Options In Life was created to support and give respite to families and carers of young adults who have a learning disability and additional support requirements, and to help our young people realise their potential.
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